Computerized lottery wagering system

ABSTRACT

A wagering system for accepting wagers over communications systems comprising: (a) automatic call director means (ACD) for receiving incoming messages from subscribers who wish to wager on the system; b) message means (wagering VRU) connected thereto for receiving the incoming messages routed from the ACD, and for playing a series of recorded audio messages requesting subscriber wager information to be input via telecommunications means; and (c) host processor means having storage means and being connected to the wagering VRU for receiving the subscriber wager information, storing it in a master subscriber wager file in the storage means, and assigning an associated ticket number to the wager.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/426,145, filed Apr.19, 1995, now abandoned, which is a continuation in part of applicationSer. No. 08/181,361, filed Jan. 13, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,416,issued May 16, 1995, which is in turn a continuation of application Ser.No. 08/004,633, filed Jan. 12, 1993, now abandoned, which is in turn acontinuation of application Ser. No. 07/489,814, filed Mar. 6, 1990, nowabandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Typically, in the United States in order to play a state lottery eitherone physically goes to a designated state lottery agent to place awager, or subscribes to a lottery service that plays daily or weeklytheir same lottery numbers for a fee.

Other known lottery systems for placing a lottery wager include thefollowing. In the U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,278, Markowitz describes a lotterynetwork system having individual lotteries interfaced together throughto a network which processes player entries for plays in both theindividual local lottery or the national lotteries. The player placesbets on a lottery terminal by pressing various keys on its keyboard inresponse to a menu-driven screen display. In Canadian Patent No.1,162,336, De Bruyn describes a telecommunication system adapted forprocessing gambling stakes for the Canadian national lottery for bothFrench and Dutch speaking subscribers. The system is connected to atelephone exchange which answers a subscriber's call and requestslottery numbers and a wager, which the subscriber inputs by means of aselector device on the telephone. A memory device records thesubscriber's telephone number, lottery numbers and the wager. Aconverter device then converts these numbers as stored in the memory andtransmits a confirmation message in either the Dutch or French language,depending upon the telephone number, and repeats either the chosenlottery numbers and wager, or a rejection message because of aprocessing error.

There are other known telecommunications systems known for processinginformation via the telephone. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,669,730 and 4,815,741,issued to Small, teach an automatic sweepstakes game for use onautomatic teller machines and point of sales terminals. U.S. Pat. No.4,713,837, issued to Gordon, teaches a system for remote reading ofutility meters to effect electronic billing. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,792,968and 4,845,739, issued to Katz, teach a telecommunications system toelicit and process information from a subscriber, which inputsinformation by pressing keys on a terminal in response to a voicegenerator. In the Katz systems, this data is processed for statisticalanalysis for correlating the data inputs of various subscribers to findisolated subsets from that data.

None of the aforementioned systems allow a subscriber to call up on atouch-tone telephone, set up an account with a lottery system, placewagers in one or more lotteries available on the system, and charge theaccount for the wager.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the invention provides a lottery wagering systemcomprising:

(a) automatic call director means (ACD) for receiving incomingenrollment calls from subscribers who wish to enroll with the system,and for receiving incoming wagering calls from subscribers who wish towager with the system;

(b) first voice responsive means (enrollment VRU) connected thereto forreceiving the enrollment calls routed from the ACD, for playing a seriesof recorded audio messages requesting subscriber enrollment informationto be input via touch-tone telephone means, the subscriber enrollmentinformation including a credit card selection corresponding to one of aplurality of credit card companies, and a credit card number associatedwith the credit card selection, and for playing an associated series ofaudio messages requesting confirmation of the subscriber enrollmentinformation;

(c) second voice responsive means (wagering VRU) also connected theretofor receiving the wagering calls routed from the ACD, for playing aseries of recorded audio messages requesting subscriber wagerinformation to be input via the touch-tone telephone means, thesubscriber wager information including an account number, a personalaccount number, a personal identification number, a particular lotterygame format chosen from a plurality of lottery game formats available,lottery numbers and a wagering amount for the particular lottery gamechosen, for playing an associated series of audio messages requestingconfirmation of the subscriber wager information, then for playing anaudio confirmation message with an associated lottery ticket numberassigned to the lottery wager; and

(d) host processor means having storage means and being connected toboth the enrollment VRU and the wagering VRU, for receiving thesubscriber enrollment information routed from the enrollment VRU andstoring it in a master subscriber enrollment file in the storage means,and for receiving the subscriber wager information, comparing it to amaster subscriber enrollment file to validate it, storing it in a mastersubscriber lottery wager file in the storage means, and assigning to itthe associated lottery ticket number for the wager.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES IN THE DRAWING

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages will beapparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment ofthe invention as illustrated in the accompanying figures of the drawing.There are shown in the figures of the drawings embodiments which arepresently preferred. It should be understood that the invention is notlimited to the precise arrangement and instrumentality shown in thesefigures wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the lottery wagering system.

FIGS. 2 shows a flow chart of a subscriber enrollment process, and FIGS.2a and 2b show the script for the messages played by the VRU back to thesubscriber.

FIG. 3 shows a flow chart of the subscriber identification and gameselection process, and FIGS. 3a, 3b and 3c show the script for themessages played by the VRU back to the subscriber.

FIG. 4 shows a flow chart of the host validate subscriber process.

FIG. 5 shows a flow chart of the 6-digit Lotto process, and FIGS. 5a and5b show the scripts for the messages played by the VRU back to thesubscriber.

FIG. 6 shows a flow chart of the 3-Digit Number Game process.

FIG. 7 shows a flow chart of the 4-Digit Number Game process.

FIG. 8 shows a flow chart of the Keno process.

FIG. 9 show a flow chart of the host Quick Pick process.

FIG. 10 shows a flow chart of the host wager process.

FIG. 11 shows a flow chart of the host credit card authorizationprocess.

FIG. 12 shows a flow chart of the host additional funds process.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Generally, as shown in FIG. 1, the invention herein is a computerizedtelecommunications lottery wagering system. The system automaticallyhandles telephone calls from subscribers with an automatic call director(ACD). A voice responsive unit (VRU) welcomes the subscriber to thelottery wagering system and places a wager for the subscriber based oninformation elicited from them over the telephone including and accountnumber, personal ID number, the particular state lottery of interest,the particular lottery format of interest, such as 6-Digit lotto,"Keno", 3-Digit lotto, the type of wager, "Quick-Pick" or "personalNumbers", and a betting amount. The host computer (hereinafter "host")stores the information in a mainframe computer and confirms the wagerback to the subscriber via the VRU.

The link between the telephone handset and the ACD may be through thetelephone company equipment by landline, satellite communications orfiber optic connections. Where the subscriber has computer facilities,voice and touch-tone is not required and the subscriber may access thesystem directly from the computer.

The host is more completely described in an IBM brochure entitled, IBMSystem/88 Digest, First Edition(December 1988), Publication no. G5206518-00, which is hereby incorporated by reference. The ACD is morefully described in an AT&T brochure entitled, An Introduction toDefinity 75/85 Communications System, Generic 2, which is herebyincorporated by reference. The VRU is more fully described in aPerception Technology brochure entitled, BT-111 The PerceptionAdvantage, which is hereby incorporated by reference. If required, amulti-lingual VRU may be employed.

In one embodiment, the system provides subscribers with two 800 numbers,one for the purpose of enrolling as a subscriber and the other for thepurpose of placing wagers. When the subscriber dials either of the 800numbers they will be connected to their local telephone company, andthen ultimately into the network of the WATTS carrier that are selectedto provide the service. All calls are connected to the ACD from theWATTS network and routed to the appropriate VRU. The ACD routesEnrollment calls to enrollment VRUs and wagering calls to wagering VRUs.To determine the subscriber's originating location the system utilizes afeature of the network called Automatic Number Identification (ANI). TheANI feature allows the system to determine, at a minimum, the area codeand 3-digit exchange of the caller and in many instances the entire10-digit telephone number. In one embodiment, the system uses the areacode to limit the caller to placing wagers only with the state lotterywithin the state from which they are calling. In another embodiment thesystem allows the subscriber to place lottery wagers on an interstate orinterstate basis, so that a lottery wager can be placed from anywhere toany state, or even international, lottery through the use of atouch-tone telephone. Both the intrastate and interstate wagering arediscussed in more detail below.

SUBSCRIBER ENROLLMENT PROCESS

FIG. 2 shows a flow chart of the Subscriber Enrollment process of theVRU, and FIG. 2a and 2b respectively show the associated SubscriberEnrollment VRU scripts. In this case, for example, the subscriber wouldhave dialed 1-800-ENROLL and been connected to an enrollment VRU by theACD. The system is adaptable to any actual enrollment/customer service800 number assigned by the telephone company.

Utilizing the ANI feature, the VRU will store the telephone number ofthe subscriber and play the subscriber enrollment script as depicted inFIG. 2a. First the VRU plays a welcome message to the subscriber,welcoming them to the automated Subscriber Enrollment Process, and thenasks them to respond to a number of questions by pressing theappropriate number on their touch tone telephone.

As shown in FIG. 2a, the first question to be asked is "Please selectthe credit card you wish to use". For example, in the process ofselecting the caller will be asked to press "1 for VISA", "2 forMastercard", "3 for Discover", "4 for American Express", and "5 forDiners Card". In the example, the caller responded with a `1` and theVRU played back a message, "You have selected VISA, enter your cardnumber". After the subscriber enters their card number, the VRU playsback the numbers entered and requests confirmation of the account numberor re-entry. For example, the VRU plays back, "You have entered 123,456, 789, 012, 345, 6, press 1 to confirm, 2 to re-enter". If the numberplayed back is incorrect the caller would press 2 and re-enter theiraccount number. If the number was correct the caller would press 1 andthe VRU would store the number and immediately send a transaction to thehost to initiate the Host Credit Card Authorization process as indicatedby the off page connector 11.0 (shown as an inverted pyramid), see FIG.11 described herein. The VRU sends a transaction code, credit card typecode, and credit card account number to the host. This authorizationprocess is described later in this document.

Concurrently with that authorization by the host, the VRU continues theautomated enrollment process by playing Subscriber Enrollment Script 2(FIG. 2b). The VRU plays a message requesting the subscriber to enterthe four-digit expiration month and year of their credit card. In ourexample, the caller entered "11 89", and the VRU responded with themessage "You have entered 11 89, press 1 to confirm, 2 to re-enter". Ifthe caller confirms the date by pressing 1 then the VRU will respondwith the message "Enter your two-digit weekly wager amount", else theVRU will again request the expiration month and year. When the callerthen enters "10" signifying that on a weekly basis they wager tendollars ($10.00) on lottery games, the VRU confirms the weekly wageramount by responding with a message "You have entered 10 dollars, press1 to confirm, 2 to re-enter". In our example, since the caller pressed`1` to confirm, the VRU then plays the message, "The system will nowcharge your credit card with 50 dollars, providing you with an openbalance to wager. We will also obtain your credit information from thecredit card company you have selected. Press 1 to authorize thewithdrawal and obtaining of credit information". To minimize the numberof credit card transactions, in a preferred embodiment, the systemsoftware multiplies the wager amount entered by five and rounds upwardsto the nearest ten dollars. If the subscriber entered five dollars, thesystem would multiply five by five giving twenty-five and round upwardsto thirty dollars. This amount is withdrawn from the credit cardcreating an open balance to wager in the subscribers account. The callerconfirms the withdrawal amount by pressing `1` and the VRU responds witha message, "You will now be transferred to a customer service agent."

As indicated earlier, the VRU can send a transaction to the host whichinitiated the Host Credit Card Authorization process (FIG. 11). The hostmay for instance, be linked on-line to the credit card company'sdatabase to validate the subscriber's credit card number. In addition,the system obtains the caller's name, address, city, state, zip code,home and business telephone numbers, and their social security number.The host then stores the subscriber's credit card information in thesubscriber master file, which is made available to the customer serviceagent when the caller is transferred to complete the enrollment.Subsequently, the customer service agent repeats all information enteredby the subscriber and obtained from the credit card company. Once thecaller verbally confirms all the information they will be provided witha subscriber ID, a personal ID number (PIN), and the 800 number to beused for wagering. The system will also request the preparation of aninformation packet which will be mailed to the subscriber. The entireconversation is recorded via a tape recorder that is connected to theACD customer service agent's extension. The system will record allconversations using this equipment and since the system also records thedate and time of each call, the recorded information is readilyavailable.

This concludes the Automated Subscriber Enrollment Process. Thesubscriber is now able to place lottery wagers utilizing the system. Thecustomer service agent can transfer the subscriber to a wagering VRU andthe subscriber can start placing wagers.

WAGERING AND GAME SELECTION PROCESS

FIG. 3 shows a flow chart of the Subscriber Identification and GameSelection process of the VRU, and FIGS. 3a, 3b, and 3c respectively showthe associated wagering VRU scripts played to the subscriber. In oneembodiment, for example, the subscriber would dial 1-800-WAGER to beconnected to a wagering VRU by the ACD. The system is adaptable to anynumber assigned by the telephone company.

Utilizing the ANI feature, the wagering VRU will store the telephonenumber of the caller and play the subscriber identification script asdepicted in FIG. 3a. Note that in the description of this embodiment theinterstate wagering feature of the system is highlighted, but whereappropriate, the differences related to intrastate wagering arementioned. But generally, on an intrastate basis the subscriber would beblocked from wagering by the VRU if their call was not initiated fromwithin a state that had a lottery. The subscriber would only be allowedto place wagers with that lottery.

As shown in FIG. 3 in the Subscriber Identification And Game Selectionprocess, the VRU plays a welcome message to the subscriber and requeststheir account number as depicted in FIG. 3a. In our example, thesubscriber entered `123456789098`, and the VRU responded with, "Youentered 123, 456, 789, 098, press 1 to confirm, 2 to re-enter". Thesubscriber responded with a 1 and the VRU then played the message,"Enter your personal ID". The subscriber entered `12345` and the VRUresponded with "You entered 123, 45, press 1 to confirm, 2 to re-enter".The subscriber responded by pressing `1` to confirm that the number wascorrect. The VRU stores the subscriber ID and PIN and immediately sendsa transaction to the host to validate the subscriber. The VRU sends atransaction code, subscriber ID, and PIN to the host which wouldimmediately initiate the Host Validate Subscriber process, see FIG. 4described herein.

The VRU then requests the entry of the amount to be wagered during thiscall. The host compares this amount to the subscriber's open balance towager to insure that sufficient funds are available for wagering. Thesystem only reduces the open balance to wager as wagers are placed andnot by the entry of this wager amount. The VRU plays the message, "Enter2-digit wager amount". In our example, the subscriber entered `10`, andthe VRU then responds with, "You entered 10 dollars, press 1 to confirm,2 to re-enter". As shown the subscriber responded by pressing `1`.

In response to the subscriber input, the VRU plays either the script inFIGS. 3b or 3c. The determining factor is whether interstate wagering isallowed. For interstate wagering, the VRU plays the script in FIG. 3b,Lottery Selection, to the subscriber. This script gives the subscriberthe option to select one of five options. The first four options will bethe lotteries in close proximity to their state. The fifth option "OtherStates", will cause the VRU to play another script which will allow thesubscriber to select from another group of lotteries. This will continueuntil the subscriber is given the option to select from any state with alottery that utilizes the service. Once the subscriber makes theirlottery selection the VRU plays the script in FIG. 3c, Game Selection.

In the Game Selection script shown FIG. 3c, the VRU presents thesubscriber with the various lottery games available within the selectedlottery. On an intrastate basis it presents the games available withinthe state from which the call initiated. For instance, the VRU plays amessage and welcomes the subscriber to the lottery then plays a message,"Press 3 for 3-digit numbers, press 4 for 4-digit numbers, press 6 forLotto, press 7 for Keno". In our example, the subscriber pressed `6` forLotto. Now the subscriber can place a wager. They will now betransferred to the 6-digit Lotto process as described in FIGS. 5, 5a and5b.

As described above, when the subscriber entered their ID and PIN, theVRU requested that the host validate the subscriber ID (see FIG. 4). Atthis point the host should have completed that process and has sent asignal to the VRU to allow the wager to proceed or to transfer thesubscriber to customer service in the event of a problem. (The VRU alsocan be programmed to determine that a subscriber is having difficulty inusing the system.) If the subscriber cannot place a wager for any reasonat this point, the VRU will transfer the caller to a customer serviceagent for assistance in completing the wager. If the host SubscriberValidation process was successful, the host returns an appropriatemessage to the VRU allowing the wagering to proceed. This concludes thediscussion of FIGS. 3, 3a, 3b, and 3c, known as SubscriberIdentification and Game Selection process.

HOST VALIDATE SUBSCRIBER PROCESS

FIG. 4 shows a flow chart of the Host Validate Subscriber process, whichvalidates the subscriber identification to the system and determineswhether they have sufficient funds to place a wager. For instance, inresponse to voice commands from the VRU, the subscriber enters theirsubscriber ID and their PIN. The host receives this information from theVRU and calls the validation process which searches a subscriber masterfile for a match. If a match does not exist, then the host sends aninvalid subscriber message signal to the VRU, which plays an invalidsubscriber message back to the subscriber. If a match is found, then thehost compares the subscriber's open balance to wager against the amountwhich they indicated they would be wagering. If there are sufficientfunds, then the host sends a sufficient funds signal to the VRU and thesubscriber would then be allowed to proceed. The system then returns tooff page connector 3.2 (shown as an inverted pyramid and also known asan off page connector), see FIG. 3. In our example, since funds areavailable the host sends a message signal back to the VRU to proceedwith the wager. If funds are not available, the host calls the HostAdditional Funds process, indicated by the off page connector 12.0, seeFIG. 12 described herein. In response to a withdrawal approval from theHost Additional Funds process, the host sends a sufficient funds signalto the VRU and the subscriber would then be allowed to proceed. Inresponse to a withdrawal nonapproval, the host sends a bad card signalto the VRU which plays a bad card message back to the subscriber. Thesystem then returns to off page connectors 3.2, see FIG. 3 describedabove.

SIX-DIGIT LOTTO PROCESS

FIG. 5 shows a flow chart of the 6-digit Lotto process of the VRU, andFIGS. 5a and 5b show the scripts for the messages played by the VRU backto the subscriber. All of the game types described herein in FIGS. 5 to8 from an overall systems perspective operate the same way. Theessential difference between the games is the combination of numbersplayed, including both the amount and the range of numbers allowed. Forexample, 6-digit lotto, requires 6 two-digit numbers. Different statelotteries have variations on the range of number which can be selected.For example, in New Jersey the lotto game range is presently from 1 to48, and subscribers can select any 6 numbers that are not repeatedwithin that range. In New York's lotto game the range is presently from1 to 54.

In the flow chart shown in FIG. 5, after the subscriber picks 6-digitlotto (see FIG. 3), the VRU requests a wagering type from thesubscriber. In the script shown in FIG. 5a, the VRU plays a message "Youhave chosen pick 6 lotto" to inform the subscriber of their choice, andalso requests in the message that they either "press 1 for Quick Pick"or "2 to enter your numbers". If the subscriber chooses Quick Pick byresponding with a "1", then the VRU plays a message "You have selectedQuick Pick press 2 digit dollar amount" (again see FIG. 5a). In the caseof a Quick Pick wager, the VRU requests the entry of a Quickpick wageramount then confirms it. For example, if the subscriber responds with"10", then the VRU plays a message "You have entered 10 dollars, press`1` to confirm, press `2` to re-enter" to confirm or re-enter thesubscriber's wagering amount. If the subscriber presses `2` to re-enter,the VRU again requests a Quick Pick amount. Presently, in the state ofNew Jersey a $10.00 wager results in 10 plays since every game cost$1.00, while in New York State the $10.00 results in 20 plays sinceevery game costs 50 cents, although the minimum in New York is a $1.00wager which gives the subscriber two games. After the subscriberconfirms the $10.00 wager amount, the VRU sends to the host thesubscriber id, the lotto selected, and 6-digit lotto wager for $10.00.The host then calls the Host Quick Pick process as indicated by off pageconnector 9.0, see FIG. 9 described herein.

In summary, in the Host Quick Pick process the host first determines thelottery's profile from a master state lottery file, and if the statelottery was in New Jersey, for example, where the range of numbers isfrom 1 to 48, then it would utilize a random number generating routineto generate 6 unique numbers between 1 and 48 for each game. Again forNew Jersey, the Quick Pick process would generate 6 unique numbers forall 10 games. In comparison, if the call had been placed from New York,the host would have generated 20 games.

After the Host Quick Pick process returns with the Quick Pick numbers,the VRU plays a message "Please hold for confirmation" and plays each ofthe wagers generated back to the subscriber, see FIG. 5a. Note that thesystem only does so if the subscriber chooses to listen and record thenumbers, if they hang up no message is played. The VRU also plays aconfirmation or ticket number assigned by the host to that wager. As faras the overall system is concerned, once the subscriber confirms thewager amount, if the subscriber at that time choose to hang up thephone, it would still generate all of the wagers, place them in thelottery, and store all the wagers within for billing, inquiry andauditing purposes. On a monthly basis the system will produce astatement which will tell the subscriber every wager that was placed,every draw down that was made from their credit card, all servicecharges, an opening balance from the last statement, and a closingbalance as a result of this statement. At this point the system returnsto the state lottery script as indicated by the off page connector 3.1and go to FIG. 3. Once again the system gives the subscriber theoptions: to place another wager, to select another game within thislottery, to select another lottery to place wagers, or finally toterminate the call.

In the alternative, the other option in the 6-digit lotto process was toallow the subscriber to enter their own numbers. If the subscriber choseto enter their own numbers by responding with `2` (i.e. no quick pick),the VRU plays the script in FIG. 5b. First, the VRU requests, based onthe lottery profile, that the subscriber enters their 6 two-digitnumbers within the range of 1 to 48 for New Jersey, or 1 to 54 for NewYork. The subscriber will utilize their touch tone phone to enter their6 two-digit numbers. The VRU plays a message "enter your six two digitnumbers from 1 to 54." In the example in FIG. 5b if the subscriberenters their numbers, then the VRU plays a message "you entered 5 10 1618 29 37 press 1 to confirm or 2 to re-enter". If the subscriber doesnot confirm then the VRU again requests the subscribers numbers. Else ifthe subscriber confirms then the VRU sends the wager to the host, whichcalls the Host Wager process, see off page connector 10.0 and go to FIG.10 described herein. The VRU sends the subscriber's wager to the host tobe processed, by passing to the host the subscriber ID, the lottery andgame selected, the 6 two-digit numbers entered, and that the subscriberchose their own numbers. The VRU then requests the subscriber to enteranother wager. At this point, if they choose to enter another series ofnumbers, they would be transferred back up to the point where the VRUrequests the entry of their numbers, and they would stay in this loopuntil such time as they choose to do something else. Similar to thatdescribed above for the Quick pick option, at the conclusion of wageringor selecting their own numbers, the VRU will tell the subscriber toplease hold on for confirmation, the host would have then come back tothe VRU with a confirmation or ticket number which will be played backto the subscriber. The VRU, as in the Quick-Pick option, would nowrequests what they would like to do next, and based on the response,they will be transferred to the appropriate process or the call will beterminated. This concludes the discussion on the 6-digit lotto process.

THREE-DIGIT NUMBER PROCESS

FIG. 6 shows a flow chart of the 3-Digit Number Game process of the VRU.As earlier described, the processes are essentially the same except forthe number of numbers being entered and the range. In the case of3-digit numbers, the range of numbers allowed is from 1 to 999. Again,the subscriber has the Quickpick option and the option to enter theirown numbers. As seen from the flow chart, the process workssubstantially the same way as the 6-digit lotto process described above.

FOUR-DIGIT NUMBER PROCESS

FIG. 7 shows a flow chart of the Four-Digit Number process of the VRU.Again, this game is processed by the system essentially the same way asthe 6-digit lotto option by choosing the Quickpick option or the entryof enter their own numbers. In contrast, the subscriber can select froma range from 1 to 9,999.

KENO PROCESS

FIG. 8 shows a flow chart of the Keno process of the VRU. The Keno gametypically works so that in order for the subscriber to win, they mustchoose 7 of the 11 numbers drawn by the lottery to win a prize, from arange of unique 2-digit numbers between 1 and 84. Lotteries describethis in many ways,talk about it and, in particular, in Pennsylvania, theKeno game is 7 out of 11 from 1-84. Once again, the subscriber canselect a Quickpick or enter their own numbers. If they select aQuickpick, the randomizing routine would generate the numbers. If theychoose to enter and confirm their own numbers, they will be asked toenter their 7 two-digit numbers. That concludes the Keno game process.

QUICK PICK PROCESS

FIG. 9 show a flow chart of the Quickpick process, called by the hostwhenever the subscriber chooses that option in any of the aforementionedgames selected. In the Quickpick process, first the host obtains fromthe VRU the subscriber ID, the lottery, the game(such as lotto 3-digit,4-digit, or Keno), a Quickpick option signal to indicate that thesubscriber chose Quickpick, and the amount of the Quickpick option. Inour example, we spoke about $10.00, which in New Jersey means that 10games or 10 wagers will be placed. After the host process receives thisinformation, it examines the state lottery profile for the game inquestion to obtain the allowable number range, and passes thatinformation on to the random number generator which would generate theappropriate numbers for the game. It will do this until the wager amountis exhausted. The host will send each wager back to the VRU. It willalso call the host wager process to actually place the wagers with thestate lottery and ultimately return to the VRU with the Quickpickselected. That concludes the Quickpick process.

HOST WAGER PROCESS

FIG. 10 shows a flow chart of the Host Wager process. The system callsthis process from various points in the overall systems software. Forinstance, the system calls this process from the Quickpick process, orfrom the process when the subscriber chooses to enter their own numbers.In either case, the host wager process needs the information such as thesubscriber ID, the lottery, the game, the type of wager--be it Quickpickor individual personal numbers--and the actual numbers being entered.The numbers obviously vary depending on the game, but the process is thesame regardless of the game. So this information is passed from the VRU.The wager will be recorded in the subscriber's wager file for thepurpose of audit and monthly statements. It will also be recorded in thestate lottery wager file so that both the system and the lottery cankeep track of the wagers for that particular day that were placed withthe lottery. For each wager the system updates the subscriber masterfile, specifically the open balance to wager field based on the amountof the wager. It reduces that amount by the size of the wager and theservice charge. There are situations where the system may need to beconnected directly to the lottery computer. The system sends the wageror wagers down to the lottery computer and receives back the ticketnumber or confirmation number. That ticket number or confirmation numberwill be utilized to update the subscriber wager file and at the sametime will be utilized to update the lottery file. It is this same numberwhich goes back to the VRU and played to the subscriber. Where thesystem is not connected to the lottery's computer, the ticket number orconfirmation number will be a number which is generated by the system.All information will be transferred back to the routines which calledthe host wager process, be it the Quickpick process or be it thesubscriber's entry of their own numbers for a particular game. Thatconcludes the description on the host wager process (see FIG. 10).

HOST CREDIT CARD AUTHORIZATION PROCESS

FIG. 11 shows a flow chart of the Host Credit Card Authorizationprocess. The VRU calls this process only during enrollment to elicitvarious information about the subscriber, specifically, name, address,city, state, zip, home phone, business phone, social security number,credit rating, etc. The aforementioned enrollment process, shown in FIG.2, calls this host authorization process, the VRU provides it with thesubscriber's credit card number and expiration date. The host, which isdirectly connected to the credit card company computer, from which thesubscriber would have authorized the system to obtain the necessaryinformation to complete their enrollment. The system will have access tothe information and retrieve it back into the host computer. If there isno information to be obtained because the credit card number provided bythe subscriber is invalid, an error message would go back to the VRU andthe VRU would transfer the caller to the customer service agent. If theinformation we requested was retrievable, the host updates thesubscriber master file with that information, looks at the availablesubscriber ID and PIN file for the next available subscriber numbers,and adds them to the master file. A message would go back to the VRUindicating that the credit card is valid, allowing the enrollmentprocess to continue. The VRU then transfers the subscriber to a customerservice agent for verbal verification of all information entered.

HOST ADDITIONAL FUNDS PROCESS

FIG. 12 shows a flow chart of the Host Additional Funds process. Thehost calls the process when additional drawdowns of funds from thecredit card are needed for the subscriber. The host checks a bad creditcard file, and if the subscriber's credit card number does not appear inthat file, the credit card will allow a draw down of funds up to thelimit allowed without a direct communication for authorization.

The system has a database with a list of the latest bad cards providedby the credit card company, so the host compares the subscriber's creditcard number to the bad credit card database to verify it. If thesubscriber's card is not on the list, then the host can draw down fundsto whatever limit is allowed by the credit card to the system. (Forexample, most credit card companies establish a limit of say $50.00 to aparticular retails, as long as, the draw down is $50.00 or less, thereis no need for direct communication with the credit card company toobtain authorization, and thereby the credit card company willpre-approve that limit without the direct communication.) The advantageto this approach is that the system minimizes the interaction with thecredit card company because these transactions typically take 10 to 15seconds to accomplish, perhaps even longer, thus avoiding lengtheningthe time of the call as there are costs that are associated with that.And assuming that the subscriber's card was not on the bad card list,the host can draw down the appropriate amount of funds and essentiallyreturn a signal to the VRU saying that funds are now available. Inaddition, a transaction is sent to that credit card company's dailycharge file, transferred to the credit card company overnight, to assurethat funds are received from the credit card company. If thesubscriber's credit card is on the bad card list, the host sends asignal back to the VRU and the system returns to off-page connection 2.2to indicate that a credit problem exists. The subscriber is thentransferred to a customer service agent who knows that a credit problemexists, and would request a different credit card from the caller orwould request some direction from the caller as to what we should do inorder to allow them to wager. That concludes page 3, the validateprocess.

Some of the other features that the system is designed to accommodateinclude: 1) determine winning numbers in other states; 2) determine if aticket which they hold, regardless of the lottery was a winner; 3)determine what wagers were made over a period of time; 4) place sportswagers; and 5) place horse racing wagers.

While the invention has been described in its preferred embodiment, itis to be understood that the words which have been used are words ofdescription rather than limitation and that changes may be made withinthe purview of the appended claims without departing from the true scopeand spirit of the invention in its broader aspects.

I claim:
 1. A wagering system for accepting a plurality of differentwagering formats over a telephone comprising:a) automatic call directormeans for receiving incoming messages from subscribers and routing eachof said messages according to which one of said plurality of differentwagering formats is requested by a caller; b) message responsive meansconnected thereto for receiving the incoming messages routed from saidautomatic call director means, for generating a series of messagesrequesting subscriber wager information to be input, for playing anassociated series of audio messages requesting confirmation of thesubscriber wager information, and for playing a confirmation messagewith an associated ticket number assigned to a wager; and c) hostprocessor means having storage means connected to said message responsemeans for receiving said subscriber wager information, comparing saidsubscriber wager information to a master subscriber enrollment file forvalidation, storing said subscriber wager information in a mastersubscriber wager file in the storage means, and assigning an associatedticket number to the wager.
 2. The wagering system of claim 1, whereinthe subscriber wager information includes a personal account number, apersonal identification number, a particular wagering format chosen froma plurality of wagering formats available, at least one wager and awagering amount corresponding to the particular wagering format chosen.3. The system of claim 1, wherein the particular wagering formatsinclude 6-digit lotto, 3-digit lotto, 4-digit lotto and keno.
 4. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the particular wagering formats includeintrastate wagering and interstate wagering.
 5. The system of claim 1,wherein the particular wagering formats include a quick pick option. 6.A wagering system for automatically accepting a plurality of differentwagering formats over a telephone comprising:a) automatic call directormeans for receiving incoming calls from subscribers and routing each ofsaid calls according to which one of said plurality of differentwagering formats is requested by a caller; b) message means connected tosaid automatic call director means for receiving the incoming callsrouted from said automatic call director means and for providing aseries of prerecorded messages requesting subscriber wageringinformation particular to said one of the plurality of wagering formats;and c) computer means having storage means connected to said messagemeans for receiving and storing said subscriber wagering information. 7.The system of claim 6, wherein the different wagering formats include3-digit lotto, 4-digit lotto, 6-digit lotto and keno.
 8. The system ofclaim 6, wherein the different wagering formats include intrastatewagering and interstate wagering.
 9. The system of claim 6, wherein thedifferent wagering formats include a quick pick option.
 10. A wageringsystem for automatically accepting wagers over a telephone comprising:a)automatic call director means for receiving incoming subscriberenrollment calls from prospective subscribers for enrolling with saidsystem and incoming subscriber wager calls from subscribers for making awager; b) subscriber enrollment message means connected to saidautomatic call director means for receiving the incoming subscriberenrollment calls routed from said automatic call director means and forproviding a series of prerecorded messages requesting subscriberenrollment information; c) subscriber wager message means connected tosaid automatic call director means for receiving the incoming subscriberwager calls routed from said automatic call director means and forproviding a series of prerecorded messages requesting subscriberwagering information; and d) computer means having storage meansconnected to said subscriber enrollment means and said subscriber wagermessage means for receiving said subscriber enrollment information fromsaid subscriber enrollment message means and storing said subscriberenrollment information in a master subscriber enrollment file in saidstorage means, and for receiving said subscriber wager information fromsaid subscriber wager message means routed from said subscriber wagermessage means, storing said subscriber wager information in a mastersubscriber wager file.
 11. A computer wagering system for automaticallyaccepting a plurality of different wagering formats comprising:a)communication means for receiving incoming communications fromsubscribers and routing each of said communications according to whichone of said plurality of different wagering formats is requested by asubscriber; b) message means connected to said communication means forreceiving the incoming communications routed from said communicationmeans and for providing a series of messages requesting subscriberwagering information particular to said one of the plurality of wageringformats; and c) storage means connected to said message means forreceiving and storing said subscriber wagering information.
 12. Thesystem of claim 11, wherein the different wagering formats include3-digit lotto, 4-digit lotto, 6-digit lotto and keno.
 13. The system ofclaim 11, wherein the different wagering formats include intrastatewagering and interstate wagering.
 14. The system of claim 11, whereinthe different wagering formats include a quick pick option.
 15. Acomputer wagering system for automatically accepting wagerscomprising:a) communication means for receiving incoming subscriberenrollment communications from prospective subscribers for enrollingwith said system and incoming subscriber wager communications fromsubscribers for making a wager; b) subscriber enrollment message meansconnected to said communication means for receiving the incomingsubscriber enrollment communications routed from said communicationmeans and for providing a series of messages requesting subscriberenrollment information; c) subscriber wager message means connected tosaid communication means for receiving the incoming subscriber wagercommunications routed from said communication means and for providing aseries of messages requesting subscriber wagering information; and d)storage means connected to said subscriber enrollment means and saidsubscriber wager message means for receiving said subscriber enrollmentinformation from said subscriber enrollment message means and storingsaid subscriber enrollment information in a master subscriber enrollmentfile in said storage means, and for receiving said subscriber wagerinformation from said subscriber wager message means routed from saidsubscriber wager message means, storing said subscriber wagerinformation in a master subscriber wager file.